Rare PINK elephant is captured playing in a South African waterhole

Release time：2024-05-01 09:51:57 Source：Stellar Stories news portal

A safari operator in South Africa has captured footage of a rare young pink elephant hopping and playing with his gray peers at a watering hole in Kruger National Park.

The approximately one-year-old pink elephant calf was born with albinism, wildlife biologists said, a rare genetic condition that halts the body's production of the skin pigment known as melanin — sometimes with damaging effects.

Researchers noted that some species shun rare albino births among their own kind, but the elephants at Kruger appear to be very protective of their own pink elephant. 

In the video taken by the safari operator, the elephants can be seen splashing, rolling and playing with the young pink elephant at a watering hole in the national park. 

The approximately one-year-old pink elephant calf was born with albinism, wildlife biologists said, a rare genetic condition that halts the body's production of the skin pigment known as melanin — sometimes with damaging effects to a creature's eyesight and food foraging skills

'It is always a privilege to be able to witness these extremely rare and special animals,' the safari operator, Theo Potgieter, told Live Science. 

Potgieter, who has personally witnessed cases of albinism in elephants at Kruger National Park before, told the publication that he saw the herd accept and nurture their unique pink calves in both cases. 

'In both recent sightings of two different individuals,' Potgieter explained via email, 'the rest of the herd seemed to be very protective and patient with the presence of these young individuals.'

While some creatures with albinism, such as catfish, have become avoided or shunned by their peers, as researchers have documented, others like albino alligators are often  simply eaten by predators before they reach adulthood.

A safari operator in South Africa captured the footage of this rare young pink elephant (center) hopping and playing with his young gray peers at a watering hole in Kruger National Park

That safari operator, Theo Potgieter, has also personally witnessed another case of albinism in elephants at Kruger National Park. He said that, in both cases, he saw the herd accept and nurture their unique pink calves

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The male foal, which has not yet been named, was born at Marwell Zoo near Winchester on August 20 to parents Nadifa and Lars. 

Poachers trading in exotic animals have also preyed upon albino animals, a practice that has led to at least one nonprofit buying an entire island off the coast of Indonesia just to build a sanctuary there for one albino orangutan.

While many albino creatures are left leading a solitary life away from their more ruddy, melanin-enriched peers, these are only part of their troubles.

To make matter worse, the condition reduces pigment in the irises also, causing poor eyesight.

This 'pink eye' can undermine an animal's ability to forage for its meals, spot predators, or even track and hunt down its own prey. 

Much like the albino alligator, many other species when born with albinism, develop bright white fur, scales or skin, making it impossible to camouflage themselves in many environments, adding to their life's challenges. 

Because these elephants, genus Loxodonta, are typically a dark gray, their small calves with albinism develop a pink skin and fair hair.

Albinism is presented by recessive gene, which means both parents must carry the trait to produce albino offspring, an unlikely mating condition that adds to the rarity of this mutated gene.

According to Potgieter, this rare condition 'only occurs once in every 10,000 births' of mammals in the wild. 

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